“When I last spoke with Into The Gloss, I was still a beauty editor at i-D. A lot has happened since then. I worked with YSL as their ambassador and as an artist creating content for them. That was exciting because it was my first time working with a big brand. Soon after, I collaborated on Tom Ford’s Extreme collection, which was a lineup of eyeshadows and lip products. Then I set up Dazed Beauty and Byredo’s makeup division. Byredo was mostly a fragrance brand and they didn’t have too much of a visual identity. We went to town with the campaigns and the storytelling around the product. Ben Gorham, the founder, gave me so much freedom to have fun, but when lockdown hit, I decided it was time to do my own thing and start my own brand.
Ultimately, I wanted to start my own line because I feel I have a strong point of view. I love newness, innovation, and imagery that doesn’t always sit in a traditionally commercial space. A collaboration I did with Nike earlier this year really made me fall in love with makeup all over again. Makeup can have a superficial overtone, but working with athletes reminded me how powerful it is. These women are at the very top of their game, and they genuinely feel their best when they look their best. One of the athletes told me she can’t run a race if she doesn’t have her nails done; another swears by a specific eyeliner before every competition. For them, beauty isn’t just about appearance—it’s symbolic, grounding, almost superstitious. It transcends the surface.
SKINCARE
I’m very fortunate I don’t have any skin conditions that need medical attention, but my skin has really taken a battering over the past 10 years with the amount of content I shoot. And naturally, as I’ve gotten older, my skin’s become a lot more sensitive and less resilient. My goal now is protection. I also love seeing experts. I go to Dr. Brian Fu for microneedling. When I need a total reset, I go to Jasmina Vico. She has all sorts of devices, from lasers to microcurrent tools. And I’m a religious devotee of Dr. Karen Doherty. Her background is in dentistry so she really understands facial anatomy. I started doing NeoGen and polynucleotides with her about a year ago, and I’ve seen more improvement in elasticity, plumpness, hydration, and fine lines from that combo than from anything else.
In general, I don’t believe in slathering on 10 different products. I’d rather keep things simple, look at my skin, and think about what it needs at the moment. At night I like Dr. Idriss’s Soft Wash cleanser. I skip it in the mornings because I don’t want to wash off all the natural oils my face produces overnight. Instead, I use a Face Halo pad with warm water, and a wipe from my collaboration with Conserving Beauty. They’re these biodegradable cleansing cloths that dissolve under water and are infused with hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and panthenol. Then my very first product after that is my Microbial Gel, which I specifically developed to feed the good bacteria on your face and restore the skin’s pH.
Because I get so many treatments, I use products mainly for protection. Peter Thomas Roth’s Potent-C serum is one of those—it has THD Ascorbate, a powerful vitamin C, so I know I’m getting antioxidants. Dr. Doherty recommended the Allskin Med Pigmentation Control serum because I get really bad hyperpigmentation, particularly in the summer, and this helps to control and reduce it. It has two retinoids, kojic acid, niacinamide, and salicylic acid, and I can actually see and feel the difference the morning after I use it. Dr. Sam’s 10% azelaic acid serum is another staple—it’s great for redness. She once helped me when I had a terrible rash on my face years ago, and I’ve been very loyal to her since.
Moisturizer depends on my skin’s mood. Gezeiten makes great ones. They have a night and a day version—the night version is a little richer, but they’re both wonderful and made with gorgeous formulas. When I was very interested in NAD+ and the longevity conversation, I came across Young Goose. It’s a Miami-based brand that has really interesting, science-backed and tech-led formulations. I love their Youth Daily V2 cream. It has NAD+ and spermidine. Spermidine is a bit of a weird ingredient. It’s naturally occurring in the body, so it’s ingestible, too. And when my face looks a bit dull, I’ll reach for Orveda’s Reviving Mask, which is a clear jelly you leave on overnight that’s incredibly refreshing.
Of course, SPF is a definite yes. I love what Ultra Violette is doing. I love their Extreme Screen for the body, but they even have protective lip glosses. Sekkisei—a Korean brand—makes a really nice sun cream. It’s a very clean-feeling SPF 40 gel. I also take Heliocare 360° capsules. They’re meant to help prevent photoaging and hyperpigmentation.
For tools, I developed a sculpting gua sha with Face Gym—it has little prongs that let you really manipulate smaller muscles in the face and scalp. I also love sitting under infrared lamps or LED masks; the Déesse one is fantastic. And body-wise, I love Aēsop’s Resurrection Aromatique hand wash. First of all, everything from Aēsop smells great and I like the brand’s aesthetic, but it feels special and nice to have a hand wash like this in your home. It’s a very considered product.
MAKEUP
My ‘usual’ look is clean, natural, and sculptural—that was the inspiration for my line. I love cool tones and multifunctional products, like blushes that also double as eyeshadow.
I always start with my Microbial Gel. It nourishes the good bacteria on your skin and creates the perfect base. From there, I reach for my Color Correcting Serums instead of foundation—I’m not a big foundation wearer. Each serum targets a different concern and includes active ingredients to firm and even skin. I have pistachio and lilac versions that are brilliant for correcting redness, especially around the middle of my face. If I do need extra coverage, I’ll use just a touch of concealer.
For sculpting, my Sculpting Sticks are foolproof—they blend out with just a finger, and the ceramides keep them creamy and flexible. You really can’t go wrong with them. I use Oak on myself. I also use my in Fair when I want more brightness and lift without piling on concealer. We developed them with light reflective pearls, so wherever you place the product—I tend to put it under my eyes and around my mouth—it reflects light and brightens the area so you don’t need to place heavy concealer there.
Highlighter-wise, Victoria Beckham makes Pearl, a sheer, slightly sparkly, glowy one. It’s gorgeous on cheeks. On my clients, I like to apply it in the center of the eyelids as a final touch because it adds a bit of dewiness and brings the eyes to life. Face Glaze is another favorite. I’ll use it as an eyelid gloss or on my cheeks for a wet, glossy, glowy cheek moment. It’s loaded with brown algae extract so it hydrates, too.
I wear Lashify lashes a lot. Lashify is such a great concept because you don’t feel like you need much makeup when you’ve got a really good lash on. I love that they have hundreds of different styles. I can use them to go quite minimal or make a big impact. I find them a million times easier than using strip lashes—I’ll never wear them again; they’re impossible. On days I want definition, I’m an eyeliner girl. Huda’s pencils really stay put, and I like the brown one for a softer, more natural line. If I want to push things, Danessa Myricks’ cream shadows are insanely pigmented and fun for bolder looks.
I love Simi and Haze Khadra, the girls behind Simihaze. Their products are genuinely great, and the packaging is so fun. The Solar Tint blush duos are perfect on both cheeks and lips. I like that they have two different textures in the palette—one that’s slightly more matte and one that’s dewier. I stick to pinky corals over anything too orange—they just sit better on my skin tone. Canyon is a go-to. The Jones Road Miracle Balm deserves a mention, too. It took me a while to understand it—I found it heavy and thick at first—but it’s actually genius on mature skin because it keeps the skin glowy and smooth. On myself, I sheer out Happy Hour and warm it with my hands before patting it on.
For lips, I’m really excited about my new metal lip balms. I’m a bit of a lip junkie, but I didn’t want to create another pink or glossy or transparent formula—there are already enough on the market. Then I had the idea to make them metallic because it’s quite hard to find metallic products that are actually comfortable—metallic pigments can end up drying out and becoming rusty, but mine are cushy and hydrating, with vitamin E and emollients to keep them reflective but not dry. One Penny, a purple-brown, is a favorite. If I want something glossier, I reach for Hyalurolip, my lip serum with hyaluronic acid—it’s perfect if your lips are dry but you still want shine.
And finally, brushes. So many brands release them because they’re easy to create, but truly good-quality brushes are far and few between. Rae Morris makes fantastic ones that come on a magnetic plate—they’re as beautiful to look at as they are to use. Surratt’s brushes are great, too.
HAIR
I go to Bleach London when I want to change up my hair. Alex Brownsell is the only person I let touch it. I’ve been seeing her for years and I just trust her—I never cut my hair, and somehow, even through multiple bleaches and dyes, it still hasn’t fallen out. My color also lasts a long time because Alex will mix up dyes—some are semi-permanent, some are color tints—for me to top up the color at home.
Now that it’s red, I try to wash it only once a week. That might sound revolting, but I don’t want to overdo it and wash all of the hair out. I’m not particularly loyal to hair brands—I’m always up for trying new things—but right now, I’m using Act+Acre’s Stem Cell shampoo and Rōz’s conditioner. Rōz is a newer brand for me, but so many people recommended it. And I quite like using a scalp oil or serum before hopping in the shower for extra care. Then out of the shower, I like to run Bleach London’s Elixir through my hair because it’s quite fine and can get a little bit frizzy. Diptyque’s satin oil is also lovely. It’s lightweight but luxurious.
The Dyson Airwrap changed my life, especially when combined with the Arkive Headcare blow dry spray. My hair’s long and straight so there’s not much I can do with it, but I like to finish with it to add some dimension.
FRAGRANCE
I love earthy and tobacco-y scents. I definitely steer away from florals. I can’t do citrus either. Actually, I primarily used to wear men’s fragrances. The idea that scents are specifically for men or women is kind of ridiculous. If something smells good, why wouldn’t I want to smell like that? Vyrao makes really interesting perfumes. I love that the founder, Yasmin Sewell, has one foot in scent innovation and another foot in the magical realm. Each scent has a different ‘intention,’ so every 50ml bottle has a Herkimer diamond that’s been activated by a healer in Hawai’i. I’m totally for all of that stuff—it’s magical and lovely. I love Witchy Woo the most, but The Sixth is another go-to. I burn their Verdant incense at home, too. Matière Première is another great brand. It was hard to pick one to buy because they have so many incredible fragrances, so I bought a bunch of minis that are also really good for traveling. That said, Crystal Saffron is incredible. It’s also really hard to pick a scent from Byredo, but I love Gypsy Water, De Los Santos, and 1996 & Vinoodh, the perfume that photographers Inez Van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin made [note: discontinued]. I love that they made some of the scents like Gypsy Water into hair perfumes. It’s such a nice idea.”
—as told to Daise Bedolla
Photographed by Anete Hiie in London on April 2, 2025